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| - Basis for my starred ratings (which skews heavily to the food or drink):
1 star: Never again.
2 stars: Poor food, poor experience, extraordinary measures in order for me to come back.
3 stars: Average, nothing really special, nothing particularly bad.
4 stars: Very good, would definitely return.
5 stars: A favorite, one of the best.
One of my wife's favorite restaurants. French cuisine with a Southwestern twist is what got Chef Gross his James Beard Award and it's well-deserved. It's always a plus to see chef himself there almost every time we've been there.
My wife always, always, gets the escargot en croute. She loves this dish, especially here. I've always enjoyed the foie gras. The frisee salad (yes, very early-90's) has always been good, improved with the addition of the poached egg. The deconstructed lobster pot pie is a signature here, and the pig's feet and hanger steak have been excellent.
The restaurant deserves 4, almost 5 stars, for food and service. But I'm including the Crush lounge experience here too, and that is more unfortunate.
My biggest knock, the lounge prices are as high as the food quality is good across the way. That's for the drinks. Food prices are the same but that means paying a little more for "bar food" if that's what you're looking for. It's slick inside, the patio outside is small, but I've just never felt comfortable in the Crush Lounge side.
So a solid 4 stars for the entire lot. Considering all the fine dining, not just in Arizona, but in the States, this place is worth making repeat visits to.
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